Corona Virus
Please see below for the Mass times at Our Lady's - Haigh and Holy Family - New Springs
NEW COVID ARRANGEMENTS FOR MASS
From the First Sunday of Advent (Sunday 28/11/2021) at Our Lady’s we shall remove the separators from the benches on the sacristy side of church and the two central sets of seats but keep the separators on the far side. This will allow anyone who feels uncomfortable about being closer to another person to separate as before.
At Holy Family all separators will be removed. Social distancing spaces will be available. Speak to the stewards about this.
-
Everyone will still be REQUIRED to wear a mask, unless exempt.
-
The ventilation measures remain, i.e. the doors remain open.
-
People will still be expected to sanitise their hands on arrival.
-
Communion returns to its normal place within the Mass, as the protocol was a social distancing measure, so is no longer needed. Stewards continue to guide people to communion as at present.
From the Second Sunday of Advent we can reintroduce singing but the congregation MUST wear a mask while singing. Hymn books may be used and returned.
If you would like to make a donation to Our Lady's Haigh please follow the link below. Thank you for your support.
If you would like to make a donation to Holy Family, New Springs please follow the link below. Thank you for your support.
Church opening times
RETURN OF WEEKEND MASSES AT OUR LADY’S AND HOLY FAMILY
Please refer to the mass times below.
Parishioners are reminded that, at present, there is still no obligation to attend Mass. We will let you know when this changes.
The Parish of Haigh, Aspull & Blackrod
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was founded in the mid 1850's and is part of the R.C. Diocese of Salford. The Church was blessed and opened in 1858, the year of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. The Church was re-ordered in the 1990's and several new stained-glass windows were installed, some made in Blackrod, and are an interesting feature of the Church.
Holy Family Parish, New Springs, was funded from Our Lady's in 1898 and in 2009 clebrated the Golden Jubilee of its Church. The community of Blackrod, Bolton, had a chapel-of-ease from 1960 to 2009 when St. Andrews Church Hall was closed.
All three areas - Haigh & Aspull, Blackrod and New Springs are now served from Our Lady's.
Rev Kevin Foulkes
48 Haigh Road
Aspull
Wigan WN2 1YA
TEL: 01942 516732
Mass Times
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6.00pm
9.30am
11.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
11.00am
Haigh
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Haigh
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday
11:30 - 12 noon
As announced
Haigh
Holy Family
A Parish History ~ 1858-2018
Mr Livesey & Mr West have worked with local parishioners to produce a book about the history of our parish and school, they have kindly allowed us to reproduce an electronic version of their book, available on the Parish Page, CLICK HERE to read it.
If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the book CLICK HERE
Forward...
It is a privilege and honour to write the forward to the Parish History of Our Lady’s Parish, on its 160th Anniversary.
It has also been a privilege and honour, and a pleasure, to serve as Our Lady’s Parish Priest since 1997 – following in the footsteps of my twenty-six predecessors.
Saint Peter writes ‘He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.’ (Peter 2:3-5)
We are the living stones of this Christian community – commissioned as ‘missionary disciples’ to be Christ’s ‘ambassadors’ (St. Paul Cor. 5:20) in loving witness, worship and service to our community.
There have been many changes over these 160 years – in the Church, Society, Education and the design of Our Lady’s Church. The priests and people of Our Lady’s Parish have experienced many joyful family and Parish celebrations but also wars, peace, poverty and economic depressions, through twelve Pontificates and six Reigns – and we too are facing a challenging time for the Catholic Church. Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman wrote that ‘To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often’.
And so, building on and celebrating our heritage – the stones of Our Lady’s Church, and the ‘living stones’ of our dedicated, faithful and often courageous priests, parishioners and teachers in our Parish School we can face the future with confidence. We do so knowing that Jesus, Our Risen Lord, has promised to be with his Church forever. (Matthew 28:20)
I commend this publication to be read and enjoyed by everyone.
Many thanks to Phil Livesey and Neil West for their initiative to begin and to bring this book to completion and to all who have collaborated with them, with their own very interesting and often amusing memories! God bless you all.
Fr Kevin C. Foulkes
Parish Newsletter
September 6th 2020
Parish Newsletter
August 30 2020
Parish Newsletter
August 23 2020
Parish Newsletter
August 16 2020
Pastoral Letter
March 1st 2020
The Lord's Baptism
9 January 2022
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
First Reading of the Mass for the Feast Day from Isaiah.
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all peoples shall see it.
Whenever we glimpse the glory of God we experience briefly the happiness for which we hope. We can see that glory in the icy sparkle of the winter’s day, in the birth of a child, in the excellence of athletes or in the beauty of the Arts. The glory of God can be revealed in many ways and it always brings joy.
We can only glimpse God’s glory because its fullness remains hidden. As wonderful as this world is, the promised world of eternal life will be far greater: that hidden world open to us in moments of time, in meteoric glimpses of space. We see God’s glory in small signs but they suffice to alert us to the grandeur of heaven.
2nd Sunday of Christmas
2 January 2022
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
The Season of Christmas
If Advent has been celebrated full of longing and desire, then Christmas will explode upon us as a season of true joy. Not joy in the lights and baubles and glistening array of the world, but true joy that “God is with us - Emmanuel!”
Even so, the lights and glistening array can help us to feel that joy and that presence after four weeks of purple, of subdued decoration and music, of waiting, then the flash of white and gold, the colour and vibrancy of our Christmas celebrations should inform a very deep part of our lives that something has happened, Christ is born and the world will never be the same again!
The key to Christmas is light, “Of those who live in a land of deep shadow, a light has shone.”
4th Sunday Advent & Week 1 Christmas
19 December 2021
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
The First Reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent from the prophet Micah.
Victory is always exciting! But when the hero or heroine is a complete unknown, who comes seemingly out of nowhere and performs wonderfully, the victory is much more electrifying. The previously unknown hero thrills in many arenas: in sports, the arts, politics and even religion.
Micah prophesied that God’s chosen people would receive a new leader from a town of no reputation, some place called Bethlehem. This village was too small to be listed among the clans of Judah. Even so, God spoke through the prophet that Bethlehem would supply Israel with a ruler able to govern with divine strength. This ruler’s greatness would reach the ends of the earth and bring peace.
3rd Sunday of Advent (C)
12 December 2021
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
The First Reading from the prophet Zephaniah.
He was a prophet who lived in the southern kingdom of Judah whose capital was Jerusalem in the reign of King Josiah. He was probably the great-great grandson of King Hezekiah. His message is recorded in the Old Testament Book named after him. He warned people in Judah of God’s coming judgement if they continued to worship idols and disobey his Laws. He also warned of destruction coming to Israel’s neighbours: Injustice would be punished but for those who returned to God there would be a bright future.
When chastised children finally get permission to play they take new delight in their freedom. They learn the importance of good behaviour. They also learn that parents have, as parents, authority over them. If parents have done their job well, children learn that both chastisement and release happen because of their parents’ love.
Parish Newsletters
